Redemption
by imperfectandchaotic
Summary: There is a chance, he thinks. There is a chance that maybe; just maybe...she can redeem him. -Damon/Elena-
1. Human

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. That maybe, just maybe, she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Vampire Diaries_.

A one-shot collection exploring Damon's developing relationship with Elena, for that part in all of us that knows all Damon needs to be good is her. Because at this point in the series it just can't be ignored, and this whole waiting for the finale is driving me nuts. So, what better way to curb the appetite than start from the very beginning? An attempt, like all the other attempts out there, to get inside the elusive Damon Salvatore's mind. [Tags throughout season one]

* * *

**Human**

Tags: Night of the Comet; Friday Night Bites

_x_

_I thought there was hope. That somewhere deep inside something in Damon was still human, normal. But I was wrong. There's nothing human left in Damon. No good, no kindness, no love. _

The whole point was really just to mess with Stephen. Damon supposes swearing eternal misery to his younger brother can also include kitchen conversations with his very _human_ girlfriend, but he wasn't expected it to become so..._real_. He didn't expect Elena to actually care, to offer condolences for Katherine's death, but he realizes in that instant that she's right.

_You lost her too._

He's not sure what coerces him into mentioning cheerleading, into going down that road of "what matters in life" with her, but somewhere down there in the dark, nearly empty thing that passes as his soul, he means what he says.

He means every word.

_x_

When he first meets Elena it almost physically hurts. Their resemblance is so uncanny that Damon finds himself thinking the morbid, masochistic thought that maybe it's Katherine. Maybe he's found his love again. He has to restrain himself from flitting across the room with that blinding vampire speed and touching her, holding her and never letting go. But then he hears the very real sound of her heartbeat, and the steady thrum of blood that runs through her veins. It's calling him. He smells something sweet, soft, so unlike the rich spice of Katherine's scent. And then he has to stop himself for another reason altogether.

He plays the gracious, charming, and coy older brother part well. All the while he's wondering if this sabbatical Stephen's been on for all these years has rendered him insane. Did he truly think Katherine could be replaced with this...this _mirror image? _And then Elena speaks; confident, unwavering, somehow immune to his charms, and Damon knows. She is not Katherine. Elena practically exudes goodness. Kindness. Love.

She chose Stephen, after all.

_x_

He knows that Stephen thinks him a monster, a demon, an evil force that hounds his life without reprieve. He supposes its better this way. He can't change who he is, nor does he want to. Nevertheless, here he is in Elena's room, watching her chest rise and fall as she sleeps. A part of him he thought he'd crushed long ago yearns for the peace he finds on her face. It pains him. She pains him. His hand moves, brushing a delicate strand of hair from her face. Something like longing draws his finger down the smooth curve of her cheek as he drinks her in.

She wakes up, but he is gone. There is nothing to give away his former presence. Not a whisper, a shadow, nor the overwhelming aura of heartbreak.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Not quite sure where all that came from...huh. Well, hope you enjoyed my first foray into this fandom, and reviews are loved and cherished.

Hopefully I'll update tomorrow. Forewarning, I'm skimming the next few episode into one. She finds out, she's scared...yeah yeah.

Annie


	2. History

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. That maybe, just maybe, she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Vampire Diaries_.

A one-shot collection exploring Damon's developing relationship with Elena, for that part in all of us that knows all Damon needs to be good is her. Because at this point in the series it just can't be ignored, and this whole waiting for the finale is driving me nuts. So, what better way to curb the appetite than start from the very beginning? An attempt, like all the other attempts out there, to get inside the elusive Damon Salvatore's mind. [Tags throughout season one]

* * *

**History**

Tags: [Family Ties]

He takes Caroline to the Founder's Party, musing that with all the blood he's been taking from her lately, she deserves at least that. He really takes her because he'd rather have a pathetic girl on his arm than none at all. A pathetic girl to keep at bay the memory of the first Founder's Party, and the couple he pushes himself to ignore all night. It's happened again. His brother is chosen over him and he's forced to watch from the sidelines as they dance. He studies Elena, but suddenly her hair is curled and her smile is tinged with malice. _Katherine._ Damon blinks, and Elena appears again.

He tosses back the rest of his drink.

He hates Founder's Parties.

_x_

Her anger was surprising. It also amused him. She threatens him, as if it would make any difference.

The flare of rage inside her intrigues him. If only she knew.

If only she knew how easily he could reach out and kill her.

_x_

It had been incredibly tempting to watch Stephen worm his way out of explaining the original guest registry. The one they'd signed over a century ago. Instead he steps in with a story about "the original Salvatore brothers" and hides his amusement as Caroline drags Stephen away to dance. He's not sure what drives the words from his mouth, but now he's telling her the whole story, letting the truth slip.

_Stephen and Damon had someone they loved very much in that church._

She stakes her position in their feud, and once again he is struck by how unlike she is to her twin. Katherine would have delighted in worming her way into their lives, interweaving their hatred for each other with her selfish manipulations. Elena hopes they work it out.

And for the briefest moment, so does he.

* * *

**Author's Note: **It's hard going back to evil Damon. How'd I do?**  
**

Annie


	3. Fear

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. That maybe, just maybe, she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Vampire Diaries_.

A one-shot collection exploring Damon's developing relationship with Elena, for that part in all of us that knows all Damon needs to be good is her. Because at this point in the series it just can't be ignored, and this whole waiting for the finale is driving me nuts. So, what better way to curb the appetite than start from the very beginning? An attempt, like all the other attempts out there, to get inside the elusive Damon Salvatore's mind. [Tags throughout season one]

* * *

**Fear**

Tags: [Lost Girls; Haunted]

She knows. The knowledge is somewhat liberating; it was getting exhausting trying to subdue the vampire in him. On the downside, she has yet more reason to dislike him, and many more to be afraid. He's not sure if he enjoys the smell of fear that radiates from her skin. It doesn't suit her, he decides. He enjoys goading Elena.

But he prefers to goad the Elena with fire, who will crackle and spit back at him.

_X_

Looking back, turning Vicky turned out to not be one of his greatest decisions. If he regrets it, no one will ever know. Elena's anger overrides her fear of him as she yells and shoves, attempting to hurt him. He catches her wrist, but her slap still lands with a resounding _crack_. Something that looks too much like hate for comfort burns in her eyes.

_You need to leave._

She's realized how easy it would be for him. How easy it would be to just flit over and drain her dry. She walks away, and he's left to deal with the mess.

_X_

He can still sense her fear. Even now that it's all over, he can still hear the irregular _thud_ of her heartbeat underneath the near hysteria of her younger brother's. The adrenaline lifts off her skin like perfume; heated, strong, so tangible he can practically taste it. It mixes with the regular softness of her scent, almost overpowering him. He's halfway up her walk, listening to her ask of Stefan something her dear Saint Stefan can't do.

But he can.

He's not sure why. Maybe he just can't deal with a distraught Elena who smells too much afraid and not enough like _Elena._ Maybe this is how he can turn around and make his decision right. Maybe he can atone himself in her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Maybe I can make it to 'Isobel' before Thursday...we'll see! They seem to be progressively getting shorter...but things will pick up once we get to say...Georgia? :P

Review!

Annie


	4. Suffering

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. That maybe, just maybe, she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Vampire Diaries_.

A one-shot collection exploring Damon's developing relationship with Elena, for that part in all of us that knows all Damon needs to be good is her. Because at this point in the series it just can't be ignored, and this whole waiting for the finale is driving me nuts. So, what better way to curb the appetite than start from the very beginning? An attempt, like all the other attempts out there, to get inside the elusive Damon Salvatore's mind. [Tags throughout season one]

* * *

**Suffering**

Tags: [162 Candles; History Repeating]

_x_

While making jabs at his brother is fun, making jabs at Elena is forever more fruitful. She calls him a psychopath. He pretends to be hurt, and when she asks about her brother the gears in his head being to whirl. Somehow he manages to hold onto his delightfully unaffected air, using 'rawr' and exasperated head motions, before getting to the point.

_You asked me to take away his suffering._

So he did. He took away everything that brought more darkness to Jeremy Gilbert's life; drugs, alcohol, the desire to do stupid things like have drug-induced-haze-sex with unstable girls who will become equally unstable vampires. Secretly, in his heart-of-un-dead-hearts, he takes away the brother who brought so much worry and pain upon his older sister. He replaces the boy with one Elena deserved. One she could be proud of.

In his heart-of-un-dead-hearts, Damon wishes he had the capacity to be this new Jeremy Gilbert. Innocent, untainted, loved.

One she could be proud of.

_x_

He can't take it anymore. Emily and Bonnie flash before his eyes, flickering in the firelight that took all his chances of finding Katherine away from him. Elena comes crashes through the trees, screaming, but he can't hear her. He can't hear anything. He can't _feel _anything. Before he really knows what he's doing he's sinking his fangs into Bonnie's neck because at this point it's all he can do. It's all he can do before he jerks away with broken eyes and a broken, un-beating heart while Saint Stefan gallantly saves Elena's best friend. The disgust that Elena fixes him with barely grazes him.

She's disappointed in him. Or maybe she isn't surprised at all.

It doesn't matter now anyway.

* * *

**Author's Note: **I re-watched the clip several times, and all I have to say is POOR DAMON! I wanted to cry for him.

Ten reviews in pretty much a day? You guys rock. Thoughts on this one?

Annie


	5. Time Out

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. That maybe, just maybe, she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Vampire Diaries_.

**Note: **I just wanted to thank everyone for all the reviews! I've caught a cold and it was just so awesome to be able to come home from ridiculous school and see NINE reviews in my email! You guys rock. Thank you to **DamonSalvatoresVampiress **for informing me of my misspelling Stefan. Corrected for future one-shots. As for earlier ones, well I'll get to them at some point I suppose. And now the first episode that we've all been waiting for....

* * *

**Time Out  
**

Tags: [Bloodlines]

_i._

He wasn't that far away from home when he heard it; the screech of tires, the crash, the terrified heartbeat that could belong to but a single person. His feet jerk in her direction almost of their own volition. But it's not until he hears her scream, and the unmistakable scent of another vampire reaches him that Damon begins to run.

The other is gone when he arrives. He's tempted to tear after it, but the utter wreck that is Elena's car stops him. He arrives in a burst of disturbed air, crouched low. She shrieks, jerking away. When he speaks, it's with a choking tremor in her voice that she recognizes him. He asserts that she's stuck. Elena blames the seatbelt, the panic rising in her voice and he has to shush her to keep her calm and his brain free of her utter terror. He devises a way to remove her from the car, and she falls into his arms with all the ceremony of a rag doll.

His calm surprises him as he tries to ascertain her condition. Inside, his mind races. She fails to hold herself up, tumbling back into his grip. He supports her, trying to keep her attention before she passes out. Holding her chin in his hand, his eyes rove over her tear-stained face, deep lines creasing her forehead. She looks back at him with half-lidded eyes, before whispering a truth that he doesn't understand. Not then.

_I look like her._

And then she's gone. He smoothes back her hair and makes a split-second decision.

Where is his car anyway?

_ii._

The frown is still there when Elena sleeps. It disturbs him on a level he refuses to descend to, even more than the small measure of comfort he gets from knowing that she's alright. His scattered inner musings are interrupted however, when the steady breathing on his right stops and he realizes she's awake. She groans, putting a hand to her head. He asks how she is, being careful not to look at her with the "I checked" comment.

Would she be able to tell? He wonders. Would she know how much a broken bone would have changed things?

They wouldn't be in Georgia right now.

Elena asks about the man—the vampire—she hit. He doesn't know. It irks him to no end.

She's yelling at him to stop the car. He remarks on her level of fun, disguising the flicker of concern that maybe she _was_ still hurt and he hadn't been careful enough. She steps out of the car, doubling over. He's at her side in an instant, one hand on her elbow and another at the small of her back. She jumps, startled.

_Hey_.

He barely breathes it, staring up at her face. Elena frowns, as if she can't quite understand the look in his eyes. Frankly, he doesn't either. After being rebuked, he's back to sarcastic, uncaring Damon. He informs her of the lack of vervain around her neck. It's probably a little cruel; how he makes it known the power of compulsion is now his again. Her heart skids as her hand lands on her collarbone, and the sharp tinge of fear permeates her scent.

_What are you trying to prove?_

Her phone rings, saving him from having to reply. His delight in tormenting Stefan is only heightened when Elena refuses to speak with him. That's probably also a little cruel, although where Stefan is concerned Damon doesn't mind in the least.

The talk of time-outs is really just to get her to go along with him. At least, that's what he tells himself.

_Am I going to be safe with you?_

He replies affirmative to her first and second question without hesitating. He's gotten her this far hasn't he? As for the compulsion, he doubts this excursion would be half as enjoyable if Elena were all too willing.

_Can I trust you? _

He evades the subject altogether. She shouldn't trust him. He's incredibly reluctant to let her think that she can.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Obviously that's not the end of the Delena goodness for that episode, but I prefer to break it up. The episode does kind of...break in half, in my opinion anyway. Or maybe the fact that it's going to be super-long kind of bothers me. I like consistency.

Anyways. These are important stepping stones. How'd I do? Next time: Bloodlines part 2; Rescue

Annie


	6. Rescue

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. That maybe, just maybe, she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer: **I do not own _The Vampire Diaries_.

**Note: **Part 2! Those of you disappointed by only one update a day; well I'm sorry I have to keep up with the rest of my life! :P

* * *

**Rescue**

Tags: [Bloodlines]

_iii._

He gets some kind of perverse amusement out of watching Elena squirm. Is the idea of being with him so bad? He chalks it up to Bree's crass speech, which makes the young Gilbert uncomfortable. Not all people are like Stefan, grown and bred in the 1800s, where manners and proper conduct were absolute. Damon was bred there too, but at least he's able to keep up with the times. Now that he thinks about it, Damon figures having to watch them make out wasn't making Elena any more at ease.

Oh, well.

He is not here to make Elena comfortable. He's here to find a way to get Katherine back.

Bree is going to give him one.

Elena is still angry with Stefan. The idea fills him with more triumph than the fact that he's here with her alone in the first place. Her anger is still radiating as he slips behind her without making a sound. She rebuffs his second attempt at compassion.

_Don't pretend to care. I know you're gloating inside._

So what if he's gloating? Doesn't mean he doesn't care.

_iv._

She's hungry, so he orders food for the two of them. She asks about being descendant from Katherine, about being part vampire. He explains the possibility of the first, and the impossibility of the latter. The thought of Katherine having a child long before meeting him settles into a discomfort in his gut. Was she the same person back then? Did she want to be turned and leave her child behind?

Did she choose this life?

Elena comments on Stefan, how he was "replacing" his former love with her perfect doppelganger. Damon drives it home, pretending to be as disgusted as her.

The flare of anger and hurt that crosses her face causes him to pause. So he steals her pickles.

_This nice act; is any of it real?_

He evades yet another of her more poignant questions, surprised when she throws his own words back at him and takes a beer. They clink their bottles together, and he watches her thoughtfully as she takes a swig and grimaces.

Five minutes.

Maybe the considerable amount of alcohol is a bad idea. He's too focused on Elena, too fascinated by her easy ability to let herself loose in front of him. He should have noticed the distinct change of another vampire in the room. But he didn't.

_Where's your girl?_

He doesn't correct Bree, only turns around to point out Elena...who is gone. He's up instantly, following the smell of her scent outside the bar. Her phone lies abandoned on the sidewalk as he looks up and down the street. The sweetness he associates with her is now tinged with the bitter tang of fear.

_v._

He can hear her heartbeat now. It's strong, but irregular. At last he spots her, standing on a ladder in some kind of electricity-type area. He opens his mouth to say something, unsure of what because he _promised_ she'd be safe with him. She shouts his name, the bitterness spiking to an all-time high, but before he can even ask how the hell she got up there his legs are being beaten in that all-too fast vampire speed, with that all-too strong vampire strength.

He manages some idiotic (albeit truthful) reply to the vampire trying to kill him. He's going to be burned alive. Or...dead. Dead-alive. He can't smell Elena anymore. The gasoline is everywhere; muddling his senses. Damon concentrates on the sound of her voice, pleading.

Trying to save him.

_You want to be with someone forever, you have to live forever._

He groans as Lee kicks him in the face, annihilating his attempt to get the hell up. He tries not to think about Katherine. Bad idea. Too distracting. Elena prattles on, spouting something about good. Being good.

_Be better than him._

Better? How is this better than him? They're the same, Damon and Lee. Two fools in love.

She begs. She's begging for his life.

Somewhere deep down he's pretty sure it's something Katherine never would have done. And then he's being thrown, landing pathetic and in pain. He listens for Elena again. Her heart's still strong, heading in his direction. At least one of them is okay.

_vi._

He doesn't mention killing Bree. Not only did the stupid witch put Elena in danger, she tried to lie to him about the tomb. He's far past the point of remorse or guilt. Elena questions his motives, and he replies with a surprising measure of truth. He does not take pleasure in seeing her "all damsel in distress-like." He does, however, have fun pissing off Stefan. And of course, he can think of worse company than Elena Gilbert.

_I saved your life._

He won't forget.

* * *

**Author's Note: **And there we have the rest of Bloodlines! So much to work with, makes me happy. Thanks again for all the lovely reviews. In terms of Katherine, it is Damon we're talking about here, so of course she will appear in his thoughts pretty much all the time. But I don't want to force it if it won't come. If that makes sense. Not sure when the next update will be, since I have to take a look at the next few episodes and see what I'm working with. School is also cracking down. My graduation ceremony is in 18 days. I'm freaking out!

Love to hear from everyone,

Annie


	7. Betrayal

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. There is a chance that maybe; just maybe...she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _The Vampire Diaries._

Thanks for all the wonderful response to 'Off White Knight'; it really means a lot to me. Surprisingly, (or not) mushy Damon is just as hard to capture as any other side of him. Gah, him and his complexities. :P

Enjoy!

* * *

**Betrayed**

Tags: [Unpleasantville; Children of the Damned]

_o._

_He was invited in._

Damon knows the risk all too well. He punctuates the danger to Elena, who he knows is still afraid. She agrees to his plan anyway, despite Stefan's obvious unease. He knew she would. They haven't spoken about their somewhat ill-fated excursion to Georgia, but he doesn't doubt the way it insists on lingering around them. The experience _should_ have taught him to be more careful, but what was that saying about old dogs?

The way Stefan keeps digging in that makeshift stake into the idiotic stalker vampire named Noah makes her uncomfortable. Her heart is still pounding; the smell of her adrenaline rolling off her in waves. She stabbed Noah with pencils. Smart girl. In a weird sort of way Damon's almost proud of her. The dying vampire confirms what Bree already told him; the grimoire is the key into the tomb. Elena's confused words tumble over one another as Stefan deals the deadly blow. He had to die.

_He was invited in._

_ i._

He doesn't trust Stefan. Damon hasn't trusted Stefan in a hundred and forty-five years. Why would he start now? A strong part of him still screams wary. This is dangerous. On the other hand, disrupting a disgusting love-fest is just fun. Perhaps, whispers some forgotten part of his mind, he wants to trust them. Maybe Damon just wants someone he can rely on for once, other than himself.

The untrustworthy side of him wins this mental debate.

_Don't screw it up!_

_ii._

Offering help to Jenna was relatively easy. For once, he's glad of his brother's Saint Status within the Gilbert family. He used to like to cook. Now he doesn't need to. The conversation with Jenna is ironic in its truth, and he's glad to know that his lie with Logan Fell is still sticking. As always, he can smell Elena before she enters the room. Her suspicion of him is amusing, but he has other things on his mind. He blurs over to her, only mildly intrigued to see that she turns to face him without a flinch.

_Can I trust him?_

He hates being vulnerable. And yet here he is, vulnerable before a human. Stupid vervain. If it weren't for the herb, he wouldn't be brought down to this level of pathetic and exposed. If it weren't for vervain, he wouldn't have to trust her.

_Of course you can._

But of course, she lied.

_iii._

_The only one I can count on is me._

He should have listened to himself. Saint Stefan points out that he is incapable of trust, all high and mighty because Stefan is 'doing to the right thing'. Well, look where trust got him. He can feel it again; that blinding rage that made him do cruel, dangerous things. He's an idiot for letting himself believe in her.

He forces the blood into her mouth, down her throat, threatening awful ends to Stefan's unfortunately human girlfriend. It would be so _easy_. But he can't. Stupid girl with her stupid pull on his inhuman heart. She hurt him. No one has been capable of that in a long time. He turns his face into her hair, inhaling her scent that is now bitter, and pushes her with a torn sort-of gentleness towards her saviour.

She is afraid of him.

It's about time.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Oh Damon. You're so sad when you're vulnerable. Hugs for the poor, lonely vampire.

Reviews for the poor, lonely author? Especially if you want to talk about the finale and how KATHERINE IS SUCH A BITCH AND YOU WANT TO KILL HER.

I do. Next update: maybe today/tonight, actually. And if not, probably not till this coming weekend. Massive Social test. Must make up my something like 65 percent exam average. Haha wish me luck. Social doesn't like me this year.

Annie


	8. Bound

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. There is a chance that maybe; just maybe...she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _The Vampire Diaries  
_

It's hard to capture something you've never experienced. Grief is one of those things.

_

* * *

_

**Bound **

Tags: [Fool Me Once]

_ x_

_I hope that Elena dies._

It's with a twisting, long-since forgotten emotion that he recognizes as guilt that Damon knows that he meant it. In that moment, it didn't matter. None of it mattered, because Elena had betrayed him. It was stupid of him to trust her in the first place. And now he'll have a long time to ponder this error in judgment, because now they're forever linked.

It's the blood bond. It's yet another reason on the infinite list of reasons he's so determined to have Katherine back. By sharing blood with her, every feeling was intensified. The lust, the passion, the loss. He was so in love it's almost disgusting. He's now tied to Elena, but not in the same way. The humanity she egged out in him now hovers under the surface of his skin. And out of all people, he has to have a pint-sized teenage vampire point this out and laugh in his face.

He can't abandon Elena. He hates how no matter what she does; she seems to do it so he can't pin Katherine down in her. Even betraying him. She was protecting her family, her friends, and her town. It's infuriating. On the slightly more 'less ridiculous and sappy' side, Damon knows that Stefan would kill him if Elena's life was lost because of him. Or rather, Stefan would _try_ to kill him.

Despite being precisely the same age in vampirism, Damon could beat Stefan. Simply because he embraced everything that made him who he was. Notably, the human blood.

If Damon killed Stefan after Elena died, he'd be free of everyone he didn't care to have taking up space in his conscience.

_x_

She's alive. He's acutely aware of her, even across the room. They stare at each other as he tries to figure out the jerk in his gut at the sight of her. He regains his composure quickly of course, snapping back to the man she scorned and left alone beside his father's grave. She's not sorry for what she did. There. There is the whisper of darkness, the faint imprint of Katherine. He clutches at this realization, and then hurls it away with all the strength his mind possesses.

If Elena is becoming Katherine, she is becoming a person to whom he could find himself devoted to for over a century. A person who could hold his heart, even when it had ceased to beat. Elena insists that she was protecting the people she loves. She then concedes that so was he. And here they are again, too alike for his tastes. Two people who care too much to just let go and move on.

He rejects her attempts at reconciliation. The wound is too fresh, and even though the blood has probably left her system, a deep part of him still insists on being _sensitive _to her. He can't help but track the steady rate of her heartbeat in the back of his mind, or the almost unnoticeable traces of fear and residual adrenaline in her scent. He is conscious of her like he is conscious of the breath he doesn't need. The habit is too ingrained, and the effect on his psyche would be too strong if he tried to deny the tie between them. So he just lets it be.

She brings up Georgia. He plants the seed of doubt in her mind, that he compelled her. He is Damon after all; liar extraordinaire. But he promised. She knows this. She also knows the way in which the two of them seem to have grown to..._understand_ each other. Saying it out loud cements a degree of truth that brings his gaze away from hers. She promises to help him, and even though the ghost of his blood on her lips is aching for him to just give in, to _trust_, he can't. He won't.

Not again.

And then she takes off her necklace.

_Ask me if I'm lying now._

He studies her intently, not quite believing that she'd be so willing to be so defenseless before him. He has to resist the temptation to take her _right now_ and bend her to his will, like he'd been willing to do so readily not so long ago. But he doesn't. Damon knows what this means. She's telling him the truth. So in a rare act of raw intimacy, he returns the pendant to her neck, brushing her hair under his hands and tells _her_ the truth.

He is the one unprotected now.

_I'm trusting you. Don't make me regret it._

Their gazes never stray. This time he knows she understands.

_x_

He is surprised at Elena's little resistance as he pulls her into the tomb. Then again, he isn't. They have an understanding, after all. She is afraid. The comatose vampires can sense her, as he says. It doesn't matter now, though. He's too focused. He's too close. _Katherine. _He searches, pouring firelight over vampire after vampire, but he can't find her.

_She's not here._

It's as if his chest is being ripped open again; air clogging his lungs even though breath is beyond his need. It's unbearable. He can't understand Stefan's pleas. He can't understand how she can't be there. Elena appears in the small room's opening, calling his name.

_Please._

_**Beat. Beat. Heart beat.**_

**She is not Katherine. **The inner Elena-metre forces him to remember. He shrugs back into his jacket, wordlessly following them out. He is so painfully unaware of anything, save for this gaping hole in his now empty heart. If there are tears in his eyes, he does not try to push them back. The forest is slightly blurred, and so is Elena as she makes her way to him.

_I'm sorry._

He can't feel her warmth. Even with the hum of her blood beneath his chin, he is motionless. The Damon from before is gone, and he's left the shell of his body behind.

x

The grief turns into anger. In the whirlwind of his fury are Pearl and Anna. He holds the woman by her throat, threatening the life her daughter had tried so hard to regain. He asks them questions they can't answer. And then they tell him something that changes everything.

_She didn't care._

He leaves them, shell shocked and broken. He finds himself back at the Salvatore house, staring into the fire without seeing it. He can hear the hum of Elena's voice but not her words, and blocks out Stefan's presence completely. Not even the bonds they share can pierce whatever kind of barrier Damon now has around himself. But even if they somehow managed to break through, all they would find is the Damon that began in 1864.

The one who is forever undead, forever physically un-changed by time or nature. The one who is heartbroken.

The one who is alone.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Writing this episode just makes me hate Katherine even more for what she did. **SPOILERS** Especially in the finale! Stupid Katherine. **END SPOILERS. **

It's unbelievable difficult to try and capture heartbreak. Especially Damon's. Did I do him justice?

Annie


	9. Broken

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. There is a chance that maybe; just maybe...she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _The Vampire Diaries_

And before you all ask, no I don't know what's up with all the B titles. I just noticed it myself. Ah well.

* * *

**Broken**

Tags: [A Few Good Men]

He's drunk. Endlessly drunk, as a matter of fact, and snacking on half-naked sorority girls while Stefan looks on with a mixture of disgust and pity lining his face. Damon doesn't care. It hurts too much to care.

The blood bond still pulls at him. Thankfully, his constant state of inebriation lessens the sting as Elena carefully makes her way into the room. Damon informs her of his bachelordom with a slight puff of his chest and a small slur in his words. She tries to ask how he is. He lies.

_You look wrecked._

He is wrecked. So wrecked that buttoning his shirt is almost impossible. Elena lets out a sigh when he asks for help. There's that pity again. The strength of her scent is beginning to clear his other senses. She tells him about her birth mother, and the small flicker of happiness in her is too much to bear.

_Who cares?_

He lies again. The hurt is plain as it flickers across her face, even as he makes a half-hearted attempt to save himself from having to see it. And he's right. Her mother did suck. Because Elena's mother left her one possibly most important person without a direct blood bond to anyone she knew.

Although there's him now.

Somehow he doubts that he really counts.

_e._

Okay, so practically spelling out that he killed the guy's wife in front of the entire Grill was probably not a good idea. But since when was Damon up for apologies or remorse? Perhaps it is when Elena, still shaking with a mixture of anger and hurt, lays out her disgust for him with a single sentence.

_Go ahead, reminisce about how you killed her._

Does she really think that low of him? Probably. The admission stirs some kind of reaction deep in his gut as he watches her brush past him, bewildered. Stefan is giving him that 'You're a horrible monster and I'm so disappointed in you but why am I not surprised?' look. Damon almost wants to punch him. He doesn't quite understand it. Could this really be happening?

Could Damon actually be sorry?

* * *

**Author's Note: **Ick. Not sure I like it really, but unfortunately not a lot to work with. Although next time I'll have plenty! Ah, I love a good intense scene in the rain.

Please review! If it helps, my birthday is this Wednesday. 18 baby! Woot.

Annie


	10. Atonement

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. There is a chance that maybe; just maybe...she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _The Vampire Diaries. _

_

* * *

_

**Atonement**

Tags: [Let the Right One In]

_i._

_I've accepted the fact you're a self-serving psychopath with no redeeming qualities._

Ouch. Even with the sarcastic rebuttal, Damon leaves the room and listens as she apologizes. He smirks. Making her cranky is fun. She's still angry with him. The lack of redeeming qualities remark flits inside his mind when he realizes that Stefan has yet to return. He'll show her redeeming.

Elena dodging his calls is quickly becoming bothersome. He glares in frustration at her front door. He can hear her damn phone ringing. Girls and their grudges.

_You're ignoring me. _

She doesn't deny it, but rather drawls a bitingly sardonic reply. He's unconcerned with it now, brushing past her and into the house. Of course, she gets serious when dear Stefan is involved. This should be interesting.

_ii._

Stupid Pearl. Stupid tomb vampires. Stupid Pearl and her stupid house of tomb vampires who took Stefan. At a loss, Damon jogs back to the car as Elena appears with an umbrella. It's useless now; he's soaked. Rain and endless grey skies; perfect vampire weather.

He explains what's happened: weak Stefan + angry tomb vampires + compelled owner = No Damon saving the day. At least, not right now.

_I can get in._

He refuses her outright—realizing she's seriously trying to push past him—and grabs her arms, forcing her to stay. Her brain flips tactics. She asks _why_, as though the concept of vengeful, angry supernatural beings hasn't crossed her mind yet. She's panicking. Her voice ris_es_. Her heart rate soars, bitterness beginning to cling to the rainy, fragrant moisture on her skin. It's overwhelming—distracting—so much so that Damon has to take Elena's face in his hands and look her straight in the eye in a vain attempt to make it stop.

_I know. _

He hates admitting that he doesn't know how to save his brother.

Damon isn't sure exactly when his brother became important enough to save.

_iii._

Goading Alaric Saltzman is almost as fun as goading Elena. She explains the situation, adding that she herself would go in, but—

_Your life is valuable._

She doesn't say anything to this, but the line of her back becomes rigid as she tilts her face to the ceiling. _They_ both know what would happen if Damon let her inside, but Damon also knows how frustrated she is at being mostly useless. Humans and their fragility. Magic Mister Saltzman on the other hand...is expendable. Elena goes on to point out the ring—the one that thwarted Damon's actually quite satisfying kill.

He tries not to laugh when Alaric threatens him, managing to hold it in as Elena is reduced to pleading.

The idiotic man returned from the dead is refusing her.

For a fleeting second, Elena's heart stops. Damon jumps in then, trying to bribe Alaric with the idea of finding his wife long lost. There is a brief pause in which this striking similarity between the man and the vampire goes unsaid. They've both spent years looking for people who didn't want to be found.

Loved ones who, turns out, didn't really love them after all. The idea hangs around them now in shrouds of darkness; thread after thread woven and caught and knotted into something unrecognizable from what it once was.

Devotion. Adoration; unyielding, blinding, all-consuming.

Heartbreaking.

_Coward._

In one last ditch effort, Damon motions to Elena and follows as they move to leave.

_Wait._

Success. Damon knew it would work.

_He's_ still here after all.

_iv._

The image of Elena holding a vervain-filled tranquilizer dart is simultaneously amusing and alarming. The ingrained instinct of self-preservation is ringing every bell and whistle imaginable, but somewhere deep down Damon knows that she wouldn't hurt him. Not now. Not after everything. At least, this is what he hopes.

She's being stubborn. He knows he shouldn't but he can't resist making a jab at Saint Stefan and Elena's feelings, while pulling off a ridiculous reference to this equally ridiculous modern time. It angers her and he snaps back, unleashing a side she's never seen before.

_I can't be distracted with your safety._

Thoroughly chastened, Elena looks anywhere but at him. With an internal sigh, Damon knows that was cruel. But she has to know.

_I know. I get it. I understand._

In some Damone-esque version of an apology he reaches out to squeeze her arm as they leave. He hopes she understands too.

_v._

He can smell her. She's afraid. Her adrenaline is pumping.

She's in the house.

Stupid stubborn girl.

_Are you insane?_

Once they'd finally found Stefan, Damon just wants out. He knows he shouldn't have just left him with Elena. That was stupid on his part.

_She was supposed to stay in the car._

He knew Stefan was weak. He knew there was still a danger. He knew Elena wouldn't hesitate...which is why the sight of Stefan on the floor with his mouth lined in blood fills Damon with a burning sense of regret.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Finally, I know I know! I've been drowning in end-of-high-school-ness. My apologies. I still have four diplomas left, and for all you non-Canadians, those are synonymous with ridiculous final exams that are worth fifty percent of my overall class grade.

Yeah. No fun.

I kind of hate the ending. Opinions?

Annie


	11. White Knight

**Redemption**

_There is a chance, he thinks. There is a chance that maybe; just maybe...she can redeem him._

**Disclaimer**: I do not own _The Vampire Diaries. _

_

* * *

_

**White Knight**

Tags: [Under Control; Miss Mystic Falls]

_i._

_I'm worried about Stefan._

He's worried about this obvious pile of wreckage in the corner of her room. Discreetly, he fails to mention the state in which he'd found Stefan only days earlier. There was no sense in worrying Elena more than she was already worried. This of course, entails actually wanting to shield her from it.

Whatever. Damon doesn't have time to mull over the whispering details.

She needs this reassurance, even more than he feels he needs to give it to her.

_ii._

Of course he had to tell her. They both know how much twisted amusement Damon would normally get out of Stefan's situation, but right now is not the time. It's too dangerous. A suspicious Stefan only adds fuel to the already blooming fire, and in retrospect Damon supposes that a little more tact could have been useful.

If he'd been—shocking, yes—conscientious of the delicate nature of the situation, Stefan would have probably found it in himself to get it together. On the other hand, Damon wouldn't have gotten the chance to dance with Elena.

_iii._

He is not the white knight. That role is reserved solely for his brother. But lo and behold, here he is, stepping in to diffuse the panic in Elena's eyes and the skid of her heartbeat. Damon offers her the barest of smiles, hoping to quell the fear. Her hand is small and delicate in his, her heart still thumping too strong and betraying her composure. Damon can hear the whispers of the people watching as he leads her out, lining up with her to partake in something he witnessed the invention of.

_We just have to get through this._

She nods. He is struck with this idea that she actually trusts him, and rails against the dark whisper that reminds him who else he's done this with. Elena's fingers are long and slender. Even so, Damon could easily curl the tips of his over hers. They stare at each other, their gazes locked in such a way that Damon is reluctant to break. He can feel her concentration, the way her focus on him draws her focus away from the deep-set worry.

It almost feels like a challenge. He has to keep her here in this moment with him, this moment so far away from the pain and devastation and the pre-prescribed Damon/Elena roles they'd fallen into so swiftly, so easily. The ease in which he draws her close seems to disconcert her, a flicker of confusion that fades away quickly. His hold on her is strong, assured, and even in such an intimate position he's being careful not to grip too hard.

Her scent is almost overwhelming.

Elena smiles faintly, surprising him. What surprises him more however is the gentle, seemingly real smile _she _coaxes out of _him. _Something electric seems to crackle around them, something he isn't even aware of until he has to let go of her. Elena's eyes betray her mind's quick snap back to reality, drawing his eyebrows together and his lips into the barest of confused frowns.

Maybe she felt it too.

She exhales deeply, newly composed, and he allows himself a tiny quirk of the corner of his mouth.

Score one for Damon.

_iv._

Her resolve is admirable. Damon is incredibly hesitant to leave them alone, especially after being thrown into a tree in the forest. He hovers on the landing, squelching the instinct to flit up there and rip them apart when he hears Stefan's cries, the noise, and catches the stark bitterness in the air. Elena's heartbeat returns to normal as Stefan lands on the floor with a thud.

_Are you sure you want to do this?_

He can't help but entertain the notion of delicious karma for the smallest instance. Elena is almost painfully somber as she slides onto the floor. Damon doesn't even toy with the idea of leaving her. She glances at him, surprised, but says nothing.

They're left staring at each other in the faint light, as some sort of silent understanding passes between them.

All there is to do now is wait.

* * *

**Author's Note: **Fantastic episode. The dance scene was incredibly hard to write from Damon's point of view, how'd I do?

Final scene gave me shivers. I'll see you guys this coming weekend, when I'm officially and forever done with high school. :)

Annie


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